


Harlequin Head

by Dead God (DeadGod)



Category: DCU
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Dual Personality, Gen, Mental Illness, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-01
Updated: 2016-09-04
Packaged: 2018-08-12 11:35:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7933087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeadGod/pseuds/Dead%20God
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harleen Quinzel has just been released from Arkham Asylum, on the grounds of having been cured. But cured may be a strong word, as she suffers panic attacks, is scared of every shadow, and is taunted by her alter ego Harley Quinn. Furthermore, her family has changed without her, and she can't seem to keep up. Scared, frustrated, and not quite sane she ends up on a mad chase to find the Joker before he can turn the city into a crater. But can she find a way to get Harley Quinn out of her head?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Even Shadows Have Shadows

I walked into the world, smiling. Not grinning, not laughing, just smiling. That’s an important thing to note. The asylum had called me a taxi, and I walked down the steps, calmly. In control, at last. I opened the back door and stepped in, pulling my only bag in after me.  
“Take me ta - ahem. Take me to three-oh-four-eight Westman Drive, please.” I was out of practice. By the time I had finished university, I was able to cover my Brooklyn accent easily. The consequence of not being in control, I suppose. The taxi driver pulled away from the curb, and I leaned my head back, admittedly a bit nervous. I hadn’t seen any of my family in years, and the fact that Marilyn was even old enough to come to Gotham by herself kind of freaked me out.  
“Little Lynn’s all grown up, huh Doc?” I didn’t turn my head, didn’t acknowledge her, but my heart rate jumped. “Aw come on Quinzel, don’t ignore me.” I heard the squeak of leather, a though she had scooched towards me. A part of me wondered why she wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. “You’re so rude sugah. After everythin’ we been through too! I even know what’cha gonna do next. You’re gonna go home and bleach ya hair, right? Pretty ballsy, considerin’.” I stopped breathing for a moment. More than a moment. I was drowning, it was stinging my eyes, and my skin, and filling my lungs and - no. I grabbed my pale wrist and squeezed. I was here. I was safe. I was sane. “Oh, sweetheart. No we’re not.” I squeezed my eyes shut.  
“Are you okay ma’am?” I looked up. The cab was stopped, and the driver was looking at me warily. Well, I suppose he had picked me up at Arkham. I smiled and tucked a stray lock of ugly brown hair behind my ear. “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks.” And stepped out. When I turned to grab my bag, the seat was empty and I sighed in relief. I turned and took in the hotel. Nothing very fancy, of course, but it wasn’t as bad as I would have expected. In a safe neighbourhood, and the short building looked clean, at least. I walked in, and glanced around.  
“Harley!” Came a voice in a strong Brooklyn accent. I jumped and looked to the girl standing next to a couch in the small lobby. She had a round face and bright blue eyes that were filled with happiness, and surprise. A bit of fear too. I was a little surprised at first that she even recognized me until I realized she had probably been keeping track of me in the news. I smiled at her  
“Hey, Lynnbear. It’s been a few years, huh. Um, could you call me Harleen? If you don’t mind?” “Oh! Oh sorry, I didn’t think.”  
“No, no it’s fine. I get it.” We stood there awkwardly for a moment until she opened her arms, and I stepped in for a hug. “I missed you so much.” I whispered  
“Me too sis. Me too.” We stayed like that for a moment, and then we broke apart and I picked up my bag.  
“So, what room?” She opened her mouth to reply, and then it hit me “Hey, you don’t have braces anymore!”  
“Oh, yeah.” She reached up and touched her teeth “They came off a year ah two ago.”  
“Oh. Right. I, I guess they would’ve.” I renewed my small smile. “Sorry. You were saying?”  
“One-fifty-two. I booked it for two more nights, so you can have a day to rest before we head to Florida.” This confused me for a second until I remembered the phone call with my parents. They had left Brooklyn and moved to Florida a while ago. Marilyn still lived with them for now, although she was looking into universities, and planned to move out when he got into one. Skylar had left to try and become a rock star, and Jon had run away. Only Chris, little Chris was still living with them for the foreseeable future, and even he was fourteen now. We had started walking, and Marilyn took me out of my head  
“I’m guessin’ you don’t wanna eat out?” I looked at her sheepishly  
“Sorry.”  
“It’s totally fine! You wanna rest, after all of the… things. That happened. Um, you want some takeout then? Chinese food or somethin’?”  
“Yeah, that sounds great.” We reached the room and she opened the door. Two beds with orange floral patterning on them with a little table in between, and a chunky old tv across. There, directly to the left of the entrance was a closed door that I assume lead to a bathroom. A pretty big window that had a great view of a brick wall, with thick curtains that matched the bed sheets. Marilyn had her own blue trunk next to the bed near the window. I walked to the other one and sat down on it. The mattress squeaked, and I suppressed a sigh. I dropped my bag and leaned back until I was laying down. I didn’t mean to fall asleep, but when has what I want mattered?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is my first fanfiction on this website. I'm not going to say be gentle. I think I'm pretty good, but I always want to get better, and if you disagree with how good I am, let me know! This is going to be an exciting journey, and I'm happy to have you along with me. This chapter is named after the song by Eyedia, R.Eye.P.


	2. Big Bad Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harleen wakes up in the middle of the night, and Harley takes her on a little trip.

When I woke up, I was sweating. I didn’t remember why, but I was filled with this all-consuming terror.  
“Not the best dream, huh? Well, I guess you don’t know.” She was sitting at the foot of my bed. I realized dimly that the lights were off, and I was properly in bed, tucked in. Since when had I been a deep enough sleeper to allow that? “This is what happens when you don’t sleep enough Doc. Now, let’s see if Lynn ordered us some food, huh?” Yes. That was a good idea. I threw off the cover and got up. There, on the little side table between the beds, was a styrofoam take-out container with “Harleen” written on it in black Sharpie, and a pair of chopsticks. I grabbed the container but left the chopsticks where they were. Opening up the container, I started shoveling noodles into my mouth with my hands, so fast I could barely tell what they were supposed to taste like. I got about halfway through before I couldn’t eat anymore and set the container down. I felt like I was about to puke.  
“See? Don’t ya feel better now that you’ve eaten? Now, let’s do something about that hair.” I flinched  
“No.” She sighed, and rested a hand on my shoulder  
“Fine then. If you wanna be a pussy, you don’t have to use it right away, but at least buy the damn stuff. No offense doc, but your hair’s a mess.” She was right. Years of dying it had left it dry and brittle, and the natural, ugly brown was like a cross between a rat’s fur and shit. I opened up my small little suitcase and rooted around until I found it. I had felt bad keeping the money, as it was given to Harley. But it had been a gift, not stolen, so when I was packing to leave Arkham I’d plopped it into the suitcase. A couple hundred in twenties. I grabbed the whole thing and closed the suitcase again. That’s when I realized I didn’t have a jacket.  
“Lynn does.”  
“I can’t take her jacket. She’s my sister.”  
“Exactly. And as your sister, she'll understand that you need to borrow it for a quick trip to the store.” I stood up and walked to the door. On the inside was a hook for hanging up your coat, and sure enough, there was Marilyn’s brown corduroy jacket. I put it on and put the money in the front breast pocket. I unlocked the door and then stepped into the hall. Harley was the one who guided me once I’d left the hotel. She knew where things were in Gotham. It took longer than I expected, and while we walked I asked her  
“Aren’t there any closer corner stores?”  
“Not that I know of Doc. Relax, it just seems far cause you haven’t walked much recently.” I supposed she was right, and we kept going. Eventually, though, we reached a spot where she wanted me to turn into an alley. I looked in and saw some people sleeping on the ground.  
“I don’t know Harley.” She looked annoyed, and she twirled a lock of her red and black hair.  
“Why not? Is it cause you’re scared Doctah Q? Is it cause you don’t trust me? Your own mind?”  
“No. No, I don’t trust you. Why the hell am I here? Why did I let you bring me here?!” She laughed and took a step towards me  
“Because sweetie, I am you. It’s my brain too.”  
“No.” I was angry now, angry at myself for letting her control me, and angry at Harley Quinn and all the ways she’d ruined my life. “You are not me. Now get the fuck out of my head.” That really cracked her up.  
“Really? All that therapy couldn’t get rid of me, but you think your little pissed off comments will do it? Guess what Harley. I’ve always been here. You think Mistah J made me? He just set me free.”  
“Don’t fucking call me that you little-”  
“Careful sweetheart, your accent’s slipping. Wouldn’t want anyone to see who you really are, would you?”  
“And who exactly is it you think I really am?”  
“A shell. Just waiting to be broken.” She was gone. Like she’d never been there at all, which I suppose she hadn’t. I realized this suddenly and glanced around. The good news was, in a neighbourhood like this no one had particularly cared about a late-night shouting match. The bad news was, I was in a piss-soaked dark street in the dangerous part of a dangerous city. In the middle of the night. Without any knowledge of how to get back. I was suddenly acutely aware of the money in my front pocket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to stop transcribing the Brooklyn accent. I don't transcribe things phonetically for my own accent, so why should I do so for someone else's? You'll just have to imagine. This chapter is named after Big Bad Wolf by In This Moment.


End file.
